4.0 Facilities & Infrastructure

The Facilities and Infrastructure section of the Surprise General Plan 2030 provides an overview of the various public safety, administration, utilities, and infrastructure located within the Surprise planning area.  It is crucial that the city of Surprise has the necessary public facilities and services to support new and existing growth and development as well as adequate policies in place to determine what role the public sector plays in financing public services and facilities.

Growth in the city of Surprise and the Phoenix metro area requires expansion of facilities and infrastructure to serve the needs of the public. The city of Surprise will use various funding mechanisms to help in the creation of new and expanded services as well as in maintenance of existing services. The cost of maintenance has always been the burden for the municipality; the cost of new services must have its “fair share” paid by for developers. To ensure city services are provided to all residents the city must define goals and policies that determine what services will be required, the cost of those services, and if they can be paid for without undo burden on the taxpayer.

State laws require municipalities to review and report on the coordinated program of public works for the ensuing fiscal year. For the city of Surprise, the review will be accomplished through an annual Capital Improvement Project (CIP) report to the City Council. This report will address ongoing public works and their compliance with the adopted Surprise General Plan 2030. The report is to include public real property acquisitions or dispositions, public construction, or vacation of public streets. Acquisitions or abandonment for street widening or alignment projects of a minor nature are excluded from such review. All CIP projects shall be in conformance with the Surprise General Plan 2030.